Method for protecting layer by forming hydrocarbon-based extremely thin film

ABSTRACT

A method for protecting a layer includes: providing a substrate having a target layer; depositing a protective layer on the target layer, which protective layer contacts and covers the target layer and is constituted by a hydrocarbon-based layer; and depositing an oxide layer on the protective layer so that the protective layer in contact with the oxide layer is oxidized. The hydrocarbon-based layer is formed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using an alkylaminosilane precursor and a noble gas without a reactant.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/798,136, filed Jul. 13, 2015, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The applicant(s) herein explicitly rescind(s) and retract(s) any prior disclaimers or disavowals made in any parent, child or related prosecution history with regard to any subject matter supported by the present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a method for protecting a layer, including a method for capping a doped layer to block diffusion of dopants, by forming a hydrocarbon-based extremely thin film by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD).

Related Art

A SiN film can be formed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at a temperature of 400° C. or less without causing chemical or physical damage to an underlying layer, and thus, application of the film as an impurity-dispersion blocking film, a pore-seal film for low-k dielectric film, and a protective film for next-generation memory devices has been studied. However, as the size of semiconductor devices has been reduced, further thinning of these films is in demand. Also, since lowering the process temperature is in demand, it becomes more difficult to obtain films having sufficient chemical resistance and barrier properties.

For example, a dopant thin film such as a doped silicon oxide film (e.g., borosilicate glass (BSG) and phosphosilicate glass (PSG) film) can be deposited by an ALD process as a solid state diffusion or solid state doping (SSD) layer over a semiconductor substrate in a structure such as a FinFET structure. However, as illustrated in (a) in FIG. 2 (which is a schematic representation indicating a schematic cross sections of a partially fabricated integrated circuit according to a comparative example), when a dopant thin film 26 deposited on a silicon substrate 25 is exposed, dopant elements 28 such as B and P are dissociated from the dopant thin film 26 with time (referred to as aging) during storage and/or during a subsequent annealing process, and as a result, in a subsequent annealing process, sufficient dopant elements do not diffuse to the substrate. Thus, in order to prevent the aging of dopant elements from a dopant thin film, as illustrated in (b) in FIG. 2 (which is a schematic representation indicating a schematic cross sections of a partially fabricated integrated circuit according to a comparative example), a cap film 27 is deposited on top of the dopant thin film 26 as a dispersion blocking film. As the cap film 27, non-doped silicon glass, SiN film, or SiO film is typically used. However, although dispersion of dopant elements can be suppressed by the formation of the cap film, chemical resistance of the cap film is degraded, i.e., wet etch rate becomes high, when the dopant concentration in the dopant thin film is high, as illustrated in FIG. 3 which is a schematic representation indicating a schematic cross section of a partially fabricated integrated circuit after etching according to a comparative example, showing that layers 32 c on sidewalls of a substrate 33 enclosed by dotted circles are thinner than layers 32 a, 32 b on top and bottom.

In order to manage the above problems, by increasing the thickness of the dopant thin film so as to increase the concentration of dopant elements in the dopant thin film, it may be possible to increase the amount of dopant elements to be diffused to the substrate. Also, by increasing the thickness of the cap film so as to block dispersion of the dopant elements to a higher degree, it may be possible to increase the amount of dopant elements to be diffused to the substrate. However, the increase of thickness of the dopant thin film or the increase of thickness of the cap film may interfere with the standard fabrication processes.

The above discussion of problems and solutions and any other discussions disclosed in this disclosure in relation to the related art has been included solely for the purposes of providing a context for the present invention, and should not be taken as an admission that any or all of the discussion was known at the time the invention was made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments provide a method for protecting a layer, comprising: (i) providing a substrate having a target layer; and (ii) forming a protective layer on the target layer, said protective layer contacting and covering the target layer and containing a hydrocarbon-based layer constituting at least an upper part of the protective layer, which hydrocarbon-based layer is formed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using an alkylaminosilane precursor and a noble gas without a reactant. In some embodiments, the target layer is a doped layer which may be a dopant thin film formed by SSD processes. In some embodiments, the protective layer is a cap layer which replaces a conventional cap layer in its entirety. In some embodiments, the protective layer is an additional cap layer formed on top of a conventional cap layer. In some embodiments, the protective layer can effectively block dispersion of dopant elements dissociated from the dopant thin film during storage and during a subsequent annealing process so as to increase the concentration of dopant elements in an underlying layer, e.g., a silicon substrate, on which the dopant thin film is formed, while improving chemical resistance of the layer covered by the protective layer. In some embodiments, the protective layer can also be deposited before depositing a dopant thin film for suppressing oxidation of an underlying layer and improving adhesion of the dopant thin film with the underlying layer. In some embodiments, the protective layer can be applied to a layer other than a dopant thin film, where, for example, the protective layer is formed on an underlying layer, e.g., a silicon substrate, before depositing a silicon oxide film or titanium oxide film, for example, on the underlying layer for suppressing oxidation of the underlying layer and improving adhesion with the underlying layer.

In another aspect, a method for protecting a layer, comprising: (i) providing a substrate having a target layer; (ii) depositing a protective layer on the target layer, said protective layer contacting and covering the target layer and constituted by a hydrocarbon-based layer, which hydrocarbon-based layer is formed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using an alkylaminosilane precursor and a noble gas without a reactant; and (iii) depositing an oxide layer on the protective layer so that the protective layer in contact with the oxide layer is oxidized. The protective layer can suppress oxidation and/or damage of the underlying layer, e.g., a silicon substrate, and can improve dimension accuracy of the underlying layer and also adhesion of the oxide layer to the underlying layer. In some embodiments, substantially the entire protective layer is oxidized by depositing the oxide layer (e.g., SiO layer), converting the protective layer to a part of the oxide layer, resulting in formation of one oxide layer (constituted by a portion of the oxide layer converted from the protective layer and a portion of the oxide layer depositing on the protective layer) on top of the underlying layer without oxidization of the underlying layer.

For purposes of summarizing aspects of the invention and the advantages achieved over the related art, certain objects and advantages of the invention are described in this disclosure. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

Further aspects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of this invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of preferred embodiments which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention. The drawings are greatly simplified for illustrative purposes and are not necessarily to scale.

FIG. 1A is a schematic representation of a PEALD (plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition) apparatus for depositing a protective film usable in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic representation of switching flow of an inactive gas and flow of a precursor gas usable in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of processes (a) to (b), indicating schematic cross sections of a partially fabricated integrated circuit according to a comparative example.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation indicating a schematic cross section of a partially fabricated integrated circuit after etching according to a comparative example, showing that layers on sidewalls enclosed by dotted circles are thinner than layers on top and bottom.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation indicating a schematic cross section of a partially fabricated integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation indicating a schematic cross section of a partially fabricated integrated circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a process flow of formation of a cap film and an H-cap film (hydrocarbon-based film) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a process sequence of formation of a cap film and an H-cap film (hydrocarbon-based film) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a process sequence of formation of a BSG/PSG film and an H-cap film (hydrocarbon-based film) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing wet etching rates of layers according to an embodiment of the present invention (“With H-cap”) in relation to those of comparative examples (“Without H-cap” and “Ar plasma only”).

FIG. 10 is a graph showing film stress of layers according to an embodiment of the present invention (⋄) in relation to those of comparative examples (●, ▪, and ▴).

FIG. 11 is a graph showing Boron concentration (atom/cm³) in layers according to an embodiment of the present invention (“H-cap”) in relation to that of a comparative example (“SiO cap”).

FIG. 12 is a graph showing Phosphorus concentration (atom/cm³) in layers according to an embodiment of the present invention (“H-cap”) in relation to that of a comparative example (“SiO cap”).

FIG. 13 shows film uniformity when the capping structures were changed according to embodiments of the present invention (“H-Cap”) in relation to comparative examples (“SiO Cap”).

FIG. 14 shows schematic cross sections of a partially fabricated integrated circuit where an oxide layer is deposited on a substrate, wherein (a) illustrates comparative processes and (b) illustrates processes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates a process sequence of formation of an H-Cap film and SiO film according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In this disclosure, “gas” may include vaporized solid and/or liquid and may be constituted by a single gas or a mixture of gases. In this disclosure, a process gas introduced to a reaction chamber through a showerhead may be comprised of, consist essentially of, or consist of a silicon-containing gas and an additive gas. The silicon-containing gas and the additive gas can be introduced as a mixed gas or separately to a reaction space. The silicon-containing gas can be introduced with a carrier gas such as a noble gas. A gas other than the process gas, i.e., a gas introduced without passing through the showerhead, may be used for, e.g., sealing the reaction space, which includes a seal gas such as a noble gas. In some embodiments, “film” refers to a layer continuously extending in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction substantially without pinholes to cover an entire target or concerned surface, or simply a layer covering a target or concerned surface. In some embodiments, “layer” refers to a structure having a certain thickness formed on a surface or a synonym of film or a non-film structure. A film or layer may be constituted by a discrete single film or layer having certain characteristics or multiple films or layers, and a boundary between adjacent films or layers may or may not be clear and may be established based on physical, chemical, and/or any other characteristics, formation processes or sequence, and/or functions or purposes of the adjacent films or layers.

Further, in this disclosure, the article “a” or “an” refers to a species or a genus including multiple species unless specified otherwise. The terms “constituted by” and “having” refer independently to “typically or broadly comprising”, “comprising”, “consisting essentially of”, or “consisting of” in some embodiments. Also, in this disclosure, any defined meanings do not necessarily exclude ordinary and customary meanings in some embodiments.

Additionally, in this disclosure, any two numbers of a variable can constitute a workable range of the variable as the workable range can be determined based on routine work, and any ranges indicated may include or exclude the endpoints. Additionally, any values of variables indicated (regardless of whether they are indicated with “about” or not) may refer to precise values or approximate values and include equivalents, and may refer to average, median, representative, majority, etc. in some embodiments.

In the present disclosure where conditions and/or structures are not specified, the skilled artisan in the art can readily provide such conditions and/or structures, in view of the present disclosure, as a matter of routine experimentation. In all of the disclosed embodiments, any element used in an embodiment can be replaced with any elements equivalent thereto, including those explicitly, necessarily, or inherently disclosed herein, for the intended purposes. Further, the present invention can equally be applied to apparatuses and methods.

Some aspects of the present invention will be explained with respect to preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments.

In an embodiment, a method for protecting a layer comprises: (i) providing a substrate having a target layer; and (ii) forming a protective layer on the target layer, said protective layer contacting and covering an entire concerned area of the target layer and containing a hydrocarbon-based layer constituting at least an upper part of the protective layer, which hydrocarbon-based layer is formed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using an alkylaminosilane precursor and a noble gas without a reactant. The term “protecting” refers generally to covering or shielding from exposure, damage, or destruction, and typically excludes repairing damage. For example, typically, the “protecting” does not include repairing damage of a porous low-k film having pores of less than 1 nm in diameter or nanometer scale pores, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,785,215, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0055442, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference to the full extent defining any terms and phrases used in this disclosure. The term “hydrocarbon-based layer” refers generally to a layer characterized by hydrocarbons, constituted mainly or predominantly by hydrocarbons, constituted by hydrocarbon derivatives, categorized in hydrocarbon films, and/or having a main skeleton substantially constituted by hydrocarbons. For example, a hydrocarbon-based layer is constituted by 50 to 95 atomic % (typically 65 to 85 atomic %) of hydrocarbon (consisting of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms) or 30 to 70 atomic % of carbon (typically 40 to 60 atomic %) and 20 to 40 atomic % of hydrogen (typically 25 to 35 atomic %) wherein the content of carbon is higher than the content of hydrogen. The “hydrocarbon-based layer” may be referred to simply as “hydrocarbon layer”. The term “precursor” refers generally to a compound that participates in the chemical reaction that produces another compound, and particularly to a compound that constitutes a film matrix or a main skeleton of a film, whereas the term “reactant” refers to a compound, other than a precursor, that activates a precursor, modifies a precursor, or catalyzes a reaction of a precursor. The “reactant” does not include noble gases. Typical reactants include nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, ammonia, etc. In some embodiments, the hydrocarbon-based layer is formed by PEALD using a process gas consisting essentially of or consisting of an alkylaminosilane precursor (one or more species) and a noble gas (one or more species). In some embodiments, the process gas does not include halide, C_(x)O_(y) (e.g., CO, C₂O, CO₂, C₃O₂, CO₃, and C₅O₂) and N_(x)O_(y) (NO, N₂O, NO₂, N₂O₃, N₂O₄, and N₂O₅).

In some embodiments, the hydrocarbon-based layer is constituted by a hydrocarbon polymer containing silicon and nitrogen, wherein silicon and nitrogen are typically derived from the precursor, since no reactant is used. In some embodiments, silicon is contained in an amount of less than 20 atomic % (e.g., 15 atomic % or less), and nitrogen is contained in an amount of less than 10 atomic % (e.g., 8 atomic % or less) of the protective layer.

In some embodiments, the target layer is a doped layer. In some embodiments, the doped layer is a doped silicate glass layer, wherein the dopant (which refers generally to an element introduced into a semiconductor to establish either p-type (acceptors) or n-type (donors) conductivity) is selected from the group consisting of boron (B), phosphorous (P), arsenic (As), and antimony (Sb). Typically, the doped silicate glass layer is constituted by borosilicate glass or phosphosilicate glass. The protective layer can effectively block dissociation of the dopant elements from the doped layer during storage and during a subsequent annealing process. Further, the chemical resistance of the doped layer can be improved by the protective layer. In some embodiments, the doped layer can be formed by SSD processes or any other suitable processes, including any conventional methods such as plasma doping, ion-assisted deposition and doping (IADD), spin-on coating, sub-atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (SACVD), or ALD, can be used in some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the SSD processes disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0115763 can be used to form a doped layer, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In some embodiments, the target layer is a non-porous layer. In some embodiments, the non-porous layer includes, but is not limited to, the above-discussed doped layer and a silicon substrate. The “non-porous” layer refers generally to a layer other than a porous layer which has pores of 1 nm or less or nanometer-scale pores, and a porosity of 30% or more as defined in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,785,215, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In some embodiments, the protective layer can be applied to a layer other than a dopant thin film, where, for example, the protective layer is formed on an underlying layer, e.g., a silicon substrate, before depositing a silicon oxide film or titanium oxide film, for example, on the underlying layer for suppressing oxidation of the underlying layer and improving adhesion with the underlying layer. In some embodiments, the protective layer can also be deposited before and after depositing a dopant thin film, silicon oxide film, or titanium oxide film for suppressing oxidation of an underlying layer and improving adhesion of the dopant thin film, silicon oxide film, or titanium oxide film with the underlying layer and with a layer on top of the film.

In some embodiments, the alkylaminosilane for depositing the protective layer is one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of bisdimethylaminosilane (BDMAS), hexylethylaminosilane (HEAD), tetraethylaminosilane (TEAS), tert-butylaminosilane (TBAS), bistert-butylaminosilane (BTBAS), bisdimethylaminodimethylaminosilane (BDMADMS), heptamethylsilazane (HMDS), trimethysilyldiethlamine (TMSDEA), trimethylsilyldimethlamine (TMSDMA), trimethyltrivinylcycletrisilazane (TMTVCTS), tristrimetylsilylhydroxyamine (TTMSHA), bisdimethylaminomethylsilane (BDMAMS), and dimethylsilyldimethlamine (DMSDMA).

As a noble gas, Ar, He, Ne, Kr, and Xe can be used singly or in any combination of two or more.

In some embodiments, the protective layer is comprised of two discrete layers constituted by a primary layer and a secondary layer contacting and covering the primary layer, which secondary layer is the hydrocarbon-based layer, wherein the step of forming the protective layer comprises: (a) forming a silicon nitride or oxide layer as the primary layer on the target layer; and (b) continuously forming the hydrocarbon-based layer as the secondary layer on the primary layer. Typically, the primary layer is a primary cap layer (which may hereinafter be referred to simply as a “cap layer”) which can be formed by any suitable processes, including any conventional methods such as low-pressure CVD or PEALD (such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0141625 and No. 2013/0330933 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/622,603, each disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety), can be used in some embodiments. Typically, the secondary layer is a secondary cap layer which is a hydrocarbon-based layer (which may hereinafter be referred to as an “H-cap layer”). In some embodiments, the primary layer is formed by plasma-enhanced cyclic deposition using a precursor, a reactant gas, and a noble gas, wherein the precursor contains silicon and hydrocarbon, and the secondary layer is formed using the precursor and the noble gas without the reactant gas. For example, the H-cap layer is formed from CHx elements which are included in the alkylaminosilane precursor used for forming the primary cap layer, and thus, in some embodiments, no new precursor material is required for forming the H-cap layer. Typically, a reactant is used for forming the primary cap layer in combination with the alkylaminosilane precursor, whereas no reactant is used for forming the H-cap layer in combination with the alkylaminosilane precursor, so that the H-cap layer can be formed simply by stopping the reactant flow into a reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the secondary layer is formed without using any gas other than those used for forming the primary layer.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, the primary layer is constituted by silicon nitride or non-doped silicate glass. A skilled artisan can select an appropriate primary layer for the intended purposes, considering the type of the underlying layer, the type of dopant elements, the concentration of the dopant elements, the process conditions, etc., in view of this disclosure as a matter of routine experimentation.

In some embodiments, a thickness of the primary layer is about 1 nm to about 10 nm (e.g., about 1.5 nm to about 6.0 nm), and a thickness of the secondary layer is more than zero and about less than 1.0 nm (e.g., about 0.05 nm to 0.2 nm). Even though the secondary layer is extremely thin, the secondary layer can significantly suppress dispersion or dissociation of dopant elements from the doped layer via the primary layer before a subsequent annealing process and during the annealing process, and can improve chemical resistance, particularly on the sidewalls, and can further suppress oxidation of the primary layer. The hydrocarbon-based layer (the secondary layer) is typically hydrophobic and has a high density (e.g., 1.0 to 2.0 g/cm³). The hydrocarbon-based layer may be constituted by a single or multiple layers, each layer satisfying the profiles or characteristics of a hydrocarbon-based layer.

In some embodiments, the protective layer consists essentially of the hydrocarbon-based layer, e.g., an H-cap layer is substantially the only layer deposited on a dopant thin film without another cap layer, wherein the H-cap layer contains no less than 50 atomic % of hydrocarbons, and there is no cap layer (such as non-doped silicon glass, silicon nitride, and silicon oxide) containing less than 50 atomic % of hydrocarbons. In some embodiments, a thickness of the hydrocarbon-based layer is more than zero but less than about 5 nm (e.g., 0.3 nm to 3 nm). The protective layer consisting essentially of the hydrocarbon-based layer may include a natural oxide layer which may have a thickness of 0.5 nm to 2.0 nm (typically about 1.3 nm). When depositing layers in an oxygen-free environment through the entire processes, formation of a natural oxide layer can be avoided. In some embodiments, the step of providing the substrate and the step of forming the protective layer are conducted in the same reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, after depositing the protective layer, the protective layer is annealed so that dopant elements such as boron, phosphorous, and arsenic can be diffused into the silicon substrate.

Exemplary embodiments will be explained below with reference to the drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation indicating a schematic cross section of a partially fabricated integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a dopant thin film 36 (e.g., BSG, PSG) is deposited on a silicon substrate 35 by, e.g., SSD, and a cap film 37 (e.g., NSG, SiN, SiO) is deposited on the dopant thin film 36 by PEALD or CVD, and continuously an H-cap film (hydrocarbon film) 38 is deposited on the cap film 37 by PEALD using alkylaminosilane precursor and a noble gas without a reactant. In this disclosure, the word “continuously” refers to at least one of the following: without breaking a vacuum, without being exposed to air, without opening a chamber, as an in-situ process, without interruption as a step in sequence, without changing process conditions, and without causing chemical changes on a substrate surface between steps, depending on the embodiment. In some embodiments, an auxiliary step such as purging or other negligible step in the context does not count as a step, and thus, the word “continuously” does not exclude being intervened with the auxiliary step. The H-cap film 38 can significantly suppress dispersion or dissociation of dopant elements from the dopant thin film 36 via the cap film 37 before a subsequent annealing process and during the annealing process, and can improve chemical resistance, particularly on the sidewalls, and can further suppress oxidation of the cap film. The H-cap film is typically hydrophobic.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation indicating a schematic cross section of a partially fabricated integrated circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a hydrocarbon-based film 46 is deposited on a silicon substrate 45 by PEALD as a protective layer before depositing a metal oxide film or silicon nitride or oxide film 47 thereon by ALD or CVD. The protective layer 46 can suppress oxidation of the underlying layer, i.e., the silicon substrate in this embodiment, and can improve adhesion of the oxide or nitride film to the underlying layer.

FIG. 14 shows schematic cross sections of a partially fabricated integrated circuit where an oxide layer is deposited on a substrate, wherein (a) illustrates comparative processes and (b) illustrates processes according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, problems in that an underlying layer is oxidized and damaged by depositing an oxide layer thereon, and the dimension accuracy of the underlying layer suffers by depositing the oxide layer can be resolved. (a) in FIG. 14 illustrates this type of problem. In step (1), a substrate 61 is provided, and in step (2), an oxide layer 62 is deposited on the substrate 61 wherein when depositing the oxide layer 62, the surface of the substrate 61 on which the oxide layer 62 is deposited is oxidized, forming an oxidized layer 63. The thickness of the oxidized layer 63 (i.e., the depth of an oxidized portion of the substrate 61) increases as oxidization progresses by continuously depositing the oxide layer 62. (b) in FIG. 14 illustrates how the above problem can be resolved by this embodiment. In step (1), a substrate 61 is provided. In step (2), an H-cap layer 64 is deposited on the substrate 61 before depositing an oxide layer. In step (3), an oxide layer 62 is deposited on the H-cap layer 64, wherein when the oxide layer 62 is deposited, the surface of the H-cap layer 64 on which the oxide layer 62 is deposited is oxidized, reducing the thickness of the H-cap layer 64. In step (4), when continuously depositing the oxide layer 62, a greater portion of the H-cap layer 64 is oxidized, reaching a point where substantially the entire H-cap layer 64 is oxidized. Preferably, when deposition of the oxide layer 62 is complete, oxidization of substantially the entire H-cap layer 64 is also complete, so as to avoid oxidization of the substrate 61 by depositing the oxide layer 62. When a portion of the H-cap layer 64 is oxidized by depositing the oxide layer 62, the portion of the H-cap layer 64 becomes a part of the oxide layer 62 in step (3), and thus, in step (4), it appears that one oxide layer 62 is deposited on the substrate 61 without oxidization of the substrate 61. In step (4), the thickness of the oxide layer 62 is a sum of the thickness of the H-cap layer 64 in step (2) and the thickness of the oxide layer depositing in steps (3) and (4), i.e., the thickness of the oxide layer 62 is constituted by the thickness of the portion of the oxide layer converted from the H-cap layer in steps (3) and (4) and the thickness of the portion of the oxide layer depositing in steps (3) and (4). A skilled artisan in the art can readily provide conditions for realizing the layer structures illustrated in step (4) of FIG. 14 (b) in view of the present disclosure, as a matter of routine experimentation. For example, if the thickness of the H-cap layer in step (2) is X, the thickness of the oxide layer depositing in step (3) is Ya, and the thickness of a portion of the H-cap layer oxidized in step (3) is Xa, the thickness (Y) of the oxide layer required to oxidize substantially the entire H-cap layer having a thickness of X in step (4) can be calculated approximately at X(Ya/Xa) since Ya/Xa=Y/X, to the extent that a ratio of Ya/Xa is approximately constant.

In some embodiments, alternatively, the processes illustrated in (b) in FIG. 14 can be stopped in step (3), i.e., a portion of the H-cap layer remains, depending on the intended use of the fabricated integrated circuits or the like. In some embodiments, alternatively, the processes illustrated in (b) in FIG. 14 can continue after step (4), i.e., a portion of the substrate is oxidized, depending on the intended use of the fabricated integrated circuits or the like (in any event, the thickness of the oxidized portion of the substrate is significantly smaller than that illustrated in (a) in FIG. 14 (the thickness of the oxide layer 63 in step (2)).

In some embodiments particularly associated with the above embodiment, the underlying layer (the target layer) is a silicon substrate, photo resist, a-carbon layer, silicon nitride layer, silicon carbon layer, or the like, and the oxide layer is a silicon oxide layer, metal oxide layer such as a layer of TiO and ZrO, or the like. In some embodiments, the thickness of the H-cap layer is in a range of about 0.05 nm to about 10 nm, preferably about 0.1 nm to about 5 nm, whereas the thickness of the oxide layer to be deposited is in a range of about 1 nm to about 100 nm, preferably about 1 nm to about 30 nm.

FIG. 15 illustrates a process sequence of formation of an H-cap film and SiO film according to an embodiment of the present invention where the H-cap film is deposited before depositing a SiO film. In this embodiment, both the H-cap film and the SiO film are deposited by PEALD using the same precursor and the same dilution gas, and typically, both films are continuously deposited in the same reactor, wherein the difference between PEALD for the H-cap film and PEALD for the SiO film is that a reactant gas is not used in the PEALD process for the H-cap film whereas a reactant gas is used in the PEALD process for the SiO film (in some embodiments, all process conditions other than use of reactant gas are unchanged). The PEALD process for the H-cap film includes in sequence: (i) a feed step where a precursor is supplied to a reaction space while supplying a dilution gas without a reactant gas without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby the precursor is chemisorbed on a substrate; (ii) a purge step where no precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas without a reactant gas to the reaction space without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby excess precursor components are removed from the substrate surface; (iii) an RF step where no precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas without a reactant gas to the reaction space, and RF power is applied to the reaction space, whereby a monolayer of an H-cap film is formed; and (iv) a purge step where no precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas without a reactant gas to the reaction space without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby non-reacted components and reaction by-products, if any, are removed from the substrate surface. Steps (i) to (iv) constitute one cycle, and the cycle is repeated j times (j is an integer) as desired depending on the target thickness of the H-cap film. The PEALD process for the SiO film begins immediately after the completion of the PEALD process for the H-cap film. The PEALD process for the SiO film can be conducted in the same sequence of steps as in the PEALD for the cap film and under the same conditions as in the PEALD process for the H-cap film, except that a reactant gas is supplied throughout the process. As with the PEALD process for the SiO film, steps (i) to (iv) constituting one cycle are repeated k times (k is an integer) as desired depending on the target thickness of the cap film.

In some embodiments, the hydrocarbon-based layer (H-cap layer) can be deposited by PEALD under conditions shown in Table 1 below. Since ALD is a self-limiting adsorption reaction process, the number of deposited precursor molecules is determined by the number of reactive surface sites and is independent of the precursor exposure after saturation, and a supply of the precursor is such that the reactive surface sites are saturated thereby per cycle. In the embodiments represented by Table 1, the precursor is fed to the reaction chamber together with a carrier gas which controls flow of the precursor.

TABLE 1 (numbers are approximate) Conditions for Hydrocarbon-based layer Precursor pulse (sec): 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 1.0 sec) Supply time Substrate temperature 50 to 500° C. (preferably 50 to 500° C.) (° C.) Pressure (Torr) 0.1 to 7.5 Torr (preferably 1.5 to 6.0 Torr) Carrier gas He, Ar Flow rate of carrier 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to 4000 gas (sccm) sccm) Purge upon the precursor 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) pulse (sec) Dilution gas He, Ar Flow rate of dilution 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to 4000 gas (continuous) sccm) (sccm) RF frequency (MHz) 13.56 to 60 MHz RF power (W) 10 to 1000 W (preferably 50 to 800 W for a 300-mm wafer) RF power pulse (sec) 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Purge upon the RF power 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) pulse (sec) Duration of one cycle 0.2 to 80 sec (preferably 0.4 to 5.0 sec) Number of cycles repeated 1 to 10000 (preferably 1 to 1000)

In the above, RF power “W” can be converted to “W/cm²” in this disclosure which can be applied to a different size of substrate such as a 200-mm substrate and a 450-mm substrate. The pressure is set preferably at 200 to 500 Pa, considering purging efficiency and reliability of ignition of plasma at low RF power. Further, the gap between upper and lower electrodes (between a showerhead and a susceptor) is set preferably at 7 to 15 mm. In some embodiments, the above conditions are maintained throughout all deposition processes.

In some embodiments, the oxide layer may be formed by PEALD, one cycle of which is conducted under conditions shown in Table 1b below.

TABLE 1b (numbers are approximate) Conditions for oxide layer Precursor pulse (sec): 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 1.0 sec) Supply time Substrate temperature 50 to 500° C. (preferably 50 to 500° C.) (° C.) Pressure (Torr) 0.1 to 7.5 Torr (preferably 1.5 to 7.5 Torr) Carrier gas He, Ar Flow rate of carrier 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to 4000 sccm) gas (sccm) Purge upon the 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 20 sec) precursor pulse (sec) Dilution gas N₂, He, Ar (preferably N₂) Flow rate of dilution 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to 4000 sccm) gas (continuous) (sccm) Reactant gas Oxygen Flow rate of reactant 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to 4000 sccm) gas (continuous) (sccm) RF frequency (MHz) 13.56 to 60 MHz RF power (W) 10 to 1000 W (preferably 50 to 1000 W for a 300- mm wafer) RF power pulse (sec) 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Purge upon the RF 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) power pulse (sec) Duration of one cycle 0.2 to 80 sec (preferably 0.4 to 5.0 sec) Number of cycles 1 to 10000 (preferably 1 to 1000) repeated

FIG. 7 illustrates a process sequence of formation of a cap film and an H-cap film (hydrocarbon-based film) according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the protective layer is constituted by the cap film and the H-cap film. In this embodiment, both the cap film and the H-cap film are deposited by PEALD using the same precursor and the same dilution gas, and typically, both films are continuously deposited in the same reactor, wherein the difference between PEALD for the cap film and PEALD for the H-cap film is that a reactant gas is used in the PEALD process for the cap film whereas no reactant gas is used in the PEALD process for the H-cap film. The PEALD process for the cap film includes in sequence: (i) a feed step where a precursor is supplied to a reaction space while supplying a dilution gas and a reactant gas without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby the precursor is chemisorbed on a substrate; (ii) a purge step where no precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas and the reactant gas to the reaction space without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby excess precursor components are removed from the substrate surface; (iii) an RF step where no precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas and the reactant gas to the reaction space, and RF power is applied to the reaction space, whereby a monolayer of a cap film is formed; and (iv) a purge step where no precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas and the reactant gas to the reaction space without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby non-reacted components and reaction by-products, if any, are removed from the substrate surface. Steps (i) to (iv) constitute one cycle, and the cycle is repeated m times (m is an integer) as desired depending on the target thickness of the cap film. The PEALD process for the H-cap film begins immediately after the completion of the PEALD process for the cap film. The PEALD process for the H-cap film can be conducted in the same sequence of steps as in the PEALD for the cap film and under the same conditions as in the PEALD process for the cap film, except that no reactant gas is supplied throughout the process. As with the PEALD process for the cap film, steps (i) to (iv) constituting one cycle are repeated n times (n is an integer) as desired depending on the target thickness of the cap film.

FIG. 8 illustrates a process sequence of formation of a BSG/PSG film and an H-cap film (hydrocarbon-based film) according to another embodiment of the present invention, where the protective layer is constituted by the H-cap film only (without a cap film). In this embodiment, the PEALD process for the H-cap film is substantially the same as that for the H-cap film illustrated in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the dopant thin film is boron-doped or phosphorous-doped silicon glass film (B/PSG film). Both the B/PSG film and the H-cap film are deposited by PEALD using the same aminosilane precursor and the same dilution gas, and typically, both films are continuously deposited in the same reactor. The PEALD process for the B/PSG film includes in sequence: (i) a feed step where a aminosilane precursor without a dopant precursor (B/P precursor) is supplied to a reaction space while supplying a dilution gas and a reactant gas without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby the precursor is chemisorbed onto a substrate; (ii) a purge step where neither aminosilane precursor nor dopant precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas and the reactant gas to the reaction space without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby excess precursor components are removed from the substrate surface; (iii) a feed step where a dopant precursor without an aminosilane precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas and the reactant gas without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby the precursor is chemisorbed onto the substrate; (iv) a purge step where neither aminosilane precursor nor dopant precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas and the reactant gas to the reaction space without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby excess precursor components are removed from the substrate surface; (v) an RF step where neither aminosilane precursor nor dopant precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas and the reactant gas to the reaction space, and RF power is applied to the reaction space, whereby a monolayer of a dopant thin film is formed; and (vi) a purge step where neither aminosilane precursor nor dopant precursor is supplied to the reaction space while continuously supplying the dilution gas and the reactant gas to the reaction space without applying RF power to the reaction space, whereby non-reacted components and reaction by-products, if any, are removed from the substrate surface. Steps (i) to (vi) constitute one cycle, and the cycle is repeated p times (p is an integer) as desired depending on the target thickness of the B/PSG film. The PEALD process for the H-cap film begins immediately after the completion of the PEALD process for the B/PSG film. The PEALD process for the H-cap film can be conducted under the same conditions as in the PEALD process for the B/PSG film, except that neither dopant precursor nor reactant gas is supplied throughout the process. As with the PEALD process for the B/PSG film, the steps constituting one cycle are repeated q times (q is an integer) as desired depending on the target thickness of the H-cap film.

In some embodiments, the PEALD process for the cap film illustrated in FIG. 7 can be conducted between the PEALD process for the B/PSG film and that for the H-cap film illustrated in FIG. 8, so that the above three processes can be conducted continuously in the same reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, the hydrocarbon-based layer (H-cap layer) constituting the protective layer can be deposited by PEALD under conditions shown in Table 1 above.

The pressure is set preferably at 200 to 500 Pa, considering purging efficiency and reliability of ignition of plasma at low RF power. Further, the gap between upper and lower electrodes (between a showerhead and a susceptor) is set preferably at 7 to 15 mm. In some embodiments, the above conditions are maintained throughout all deposition processes.

In some embodiments, non-H-cap layer may be formed by PEALD, one cycle of which is conducted under conditions shown in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 (numbers are approximate) Conditions for non-Hydrocarbon-based layer Precursor pulse (sec): 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Supply time Substrate temperature 50 to 500° C. (preferably 50 to 500° C.) (° C.) Pressure (Torr) 0.1 to 7.5 Torr (preferably 1.5 to 6.0 Torr) Carrier gas He, Ar Flow rate of carrier 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to 4000 sccm) gas (sccm) Purge upon the 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) precursor pulse (sec) Dilution gas N₂, He, Ar (preferably N₂) Flow rate of dilution 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to 4000 sccm) gas (continuous) (sccm) Reactant gas N_(2,) O2 Flow rate of reactant 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to 4000 sccm) gas (continuous) (sccm) RF frequency (MHz) 13.56 to 60 MHz RF power (W) 10 to 1000 W (preferably 50 to 800 W for a 300-mm wafer) RF power pulse (sec) 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Purge upon the RF 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) power pulse (sec) Duration of one cycle 0.2 to 80 sec (preferably 0.4 to 5.0 sec) Number of cycles 1 to 10000 (preferably 1 to 1000) repeated

In some embodiments, the dopant thin film may be formed as an SSD layer by PEALD, one cycle of which is conducted under conditions shown in Table 3 below.

TABLE 3 (numbers are approximate) Conditions for B/PSG Film Deposition Substrate temperature 50 to 500° C. (preferably 50 to 500° C.) Pressure 0.1 to 7.5 Torr (preferably 1.5 to 6.0 Torr) Silicon precursor Silicon-containing precursor such as bis(diethylamino)silane (BDEAS), Silicon precursor pulse 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Silicon precursor purge 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Dopant precursor B/P-containing precursor such as B/ P-triethoxide Dopant precursor pulse 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Dopant precursor purge 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Reactant Oxidizing gas such as oxygen, ozone Flow rate of reactant 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to (continuous) 4000 sccm) Dilution gas (noble gas) He, Ar Flow rate of dilution gas 50 to 6000 sccm (preferably 1000 to (continuous) 4000 sccm) RF power (13.56 MHz) for 50 to 1000 W (preferably 50 to 800 W for a 300-mm wafer a 300-mm wafer) RF power pulse 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) Purge upon the RF power 0.05 to 20 sec (preferably 0.1 to 5.0 sec) pulse Thickness of film 0.1 to 100 nm (preferably 0.5 to 50 nm)

The dopant precursor may be provided with the aid of a carrier gas. Since ALD is a self-limiting adsorption reaction process, the number of deposited precursor molecules is determined by the number of reactive surface sites and is independent of the precursor exposure after saturation, and a supply of the precursor is such that the reactive surface sites are saturated thereby per cycle. The oxygen plasma may be generated in situ, for example in an oxygen gas that flows continuously throughout the ALD cycle. In other embodiments the oxygen plasma may be generated remotely and provided to the reaction chamber.

As mentioned above, each pulse or phase of each ALD cycle is preferably self-limiting. An excess of reactants is supplied in each phase to saturate the susceptible structure surfaces. Surface saturation ensures reactant occupation of all available reactive sites (subject, for example, to physical size or “steric hindrance” restraints) and thus ensures excellent step coverage. In some embodiments the pulse time of one or more of the reactants can be reduced such that complete saturation is not achieved and less than a monolayer is adsorbed on the substrate surface. However, in some embodiments the dopant precursor step is not self-limiting, for example, due to decomposition or gas phase reactions.

In some embodiments, the silicon precursor and the dopant precursor are both provided prior to any purge step. Thus, in some embodiments a pulse of silicon precursor is provided, a pulse of dopant precursor is provided, and any unreacted silicon and dopant precursor is purged from the reaction space. The silicon precursor and the dopant precursor may be provided sequentially, beginning with either the silicon precursor or the dopant precursor, or together. In some embodiments, the silicon precursor and dopant precursor are provided simultaneously. The ratio of the dopant precursor to the silicon precursor may be selected to obtain a desired concentration of dopant in the deposited thin film.

The ratio of silicon precursor cycles to dopant precursor cycles may be selected to control the dopant concentration in the ultimate film deposited by the PEALD process. For example, for a low dopant density, the ratio of dopant precursor cycles to silicon precursor cycles may be on the order of 1:10. For a higher concentration of dopant, the ratio may range up to about 1:1 or higher such as 1.5:1, 2:1, 2.5:1, 3:1, 4:1, etc. In some embodiments all of the deposition cycles in an ALD process may be dopant precursor cycles. The ratio of deposition cycles comprising dopant to deposition cycles that do not include dopant (such as the ratio of dopant precursor cycles to silicon precursor cycles, or the ratio of dopant oxide cycles to silicon precursor cycles) may be referred to as the control knob. For example, if one dopant precursor cycle is provided for every four silicon precursor cycles, the control knob is 0.25. If no undoped oxide cycles are used, the control knob may be considered to be infinite.

By controlling the ratio of dopant precursor cycles to silicon precursor cycles, the dopant concentration can be controlled from a density range of about 0 atoms of dopant to about 5E+22/cm³ atoms of dopant. Density may be measured, for example, by SIMS (secondary-ion-probe mass spectrometry).

In addition, the dopant density can be varied across the thickness of the film by changing the ratio of dopant precursor cycles to silicon precursor cycles during the deposition process. For example, a high density of dopant may be provided near the substrate surface (lower ratio of silicon precursor cycles to dopant precursor cycles), such as near a Si surface and the density of dopant at the top surface away from the substrate may be low (higher ratio of silicon precursor cycles to dopant precursor cycles). In other embodiments a high density of dopant may be provided at the top surface with a lower density near the substrate surface.

In some embodiments, a dopant thin layer is formed by providing a dopant precursor cycle at certain intervals in a silicon oxide deposition process. The interval may be based, for example, on cycle number or thickness. For example, one or more dopant precursor deposition cycles may be provided after each set of a predetermined number of silicon precursor deposition cycles, such as after every 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 etc. cycles. In some embodiments, undoped silicon oxide deposition cycles may be repeated until a silicon oxide layer of a predetermined thickness is reached, at which point one or more dopant precursor cycles are then carried out. This process is repeated such that dopant is incorporated in the film at specific thickness intervals. For example, one or more dopant precursor cycles may be provided after each 5 nm of undoped SiO₂ that is deposited. The process is then repeated until a dopant thin layer of a desired thickness and composition has been deposited.

In some embodiments, an in-situ plasma pre-treatment of the substrate is conducted before a dopant thin layer deposition to enhance doping efficiency into the Si fin. For example, H₂ plasma pre-treatment can provide some tuning space for FinFET device design. The pre-treatment is not limited to only H₂ plasma. In some embodiments, the pre-treatment plasma may be selected from Ar, He, H₂, fluorine-containing gas, and their mixed gas plasma.

In some embodiments, the ALD cycle disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0115763, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, can be employed for an arsenosilicate glass (ASG) film.

In some embodiments, after depositing the protective layer, the substrate is subjected to annealing to diffuse dopant elements into the substrate. In some embodiments, the annealing may be conducted under conditions shown in Table 4 below.

TABLE 4 (numbers are approximate) Conditions for Annealing Substrate temperature 500 to 1200° C. (preferably 700 to 1100° C.) Pressure 1 to 101325 Pa (preferably 90000 to 101325 Pa) Atmosphere He, N₂, H₂ Duration of annealing 0.1 to 600 sec (preferably 0.5 to 300 sec)

The embodiments will be explained with respect to preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments.

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a PEALD apparatus, desirably in conjunction with controls programmed to conduct the sequences described below, usable in some embodiments of the present invention. In this figure, by providing a pair of electrically conductive flat-plate electrodes 4, 2 in parallel and facing each other in the interior 11 of a reaction chamber 3, applying HRF power (13.56 MHz or 27 MHz) 5 and LRF power of 5 MHz or less (400 kHz˜500 kHz) 50 to one side, and electrically grounding 12 to the other side, a plasma is excited between the electrodes. A temperature regulator is provided in a lower stage 2 (the lower electrode), and a temperature of a substrate 1 placed thereon is kept constant at a given temperature. The upper electrode 4 serves as a shower plate as well, and reaction gas and rare gas are introduced into the reaction chamber 3 through a gas flow controller 23, a pulse flow control valve 31, and the shower plate. Additionally, in the reaction chamber 3, an exhaust pipe 6 is provided, through which gas in the interior 11 of the reaction chamber 3 is exhausted. Additionally, the reaction chamber is provided with a seal gas flow controller 24 to introduce seal gas into the interior 11 of the reaction chamber 3 (a separation plate for separating a reaction zone and a transfer zone in the interior of the reaction chamber is omitted from this figure). In some embodiments, the deposition of ASG film, surface treatment, and deposition of SiN cap are performed in the same apparatus such as that described above, so that all the steps can continuously be conducted without exposing the substrate to air or other oxygen-containing atmosphere. In some embodiments, a remote plasma unit can be used for exciting a gas.

In some embodiments, in the apparatus depicted in FIG. 1A, in place of the pulse flow control valve 31, a system of switching flow of an inactive gas and flow of a precursor gas can be used. FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic representation of such a switching flow system. In (a) in FIG. 1B, valves V1 (X) and V2 (R) are closed, and valves V1 (R) and V2 (X) are open, so that a precursor gas flows to a vent via valve V1 (R), and an inactive gas flows to a reactor via valve V2 (X). In (b) in FIG. 1B, by simultaneously closing valves V1 (R) and V2 (X) and opening valves V1 (X) and V2 (R), the precursor gas is instantly directed to flow to the reactor, and the inactive gas is instantly directed to flow to the vent, without substantial changes in the flow rate while maintaining continuous flows. The vent can be set downstream of an exhaust, for example. In some embodiments, the pressure of the reaction space is substantially constant while conducting cyclic deposition processes, wherein the pressure can be maintained by, e.g., switching precursor flow and inactive gas flow while continuously feeding the precursor and the inactive gas using a gas flow system illustrated in FIG. 1B which is explained later.

In some embodiments, formation of a protective layer can be continuously conducted in a chamber different from the chamber used for the deposition of a dopant thin film using a cluster apparatus (a substrate is transferred between chambers via a wafer-handling chamber without being exposed to air).

A skilled artisan will appreciate that the apparatus includes one or more controller(s) (not shown) programmed or otherwise configured to cause the deposition and reactor cleaning processes described elsewhere herein to be conducted. The controller(s) are communicated with the various power sources, heating systems, pumps, robotics, and gas flow controllers or valves of the reactor, as will be appreciated by the skilled artisan.

The present invention is further explained with reference to working examples below. However, the examples are not intended to limit the present invention. In the examples where conditions and/or structures are not specified, the skilled artisan in the art can readily provide such conditions and/or structures, in view of the present disclosure, as a matter of routine experimentation. Also, the numbers applied in the specific examples can be modified by a range of at least ±50% in some embodiments, and the numbers are approximate.

EXAMPLES Example 1

In this example, a hydrocarbon-based layer (H-cap layer) was deposited on a SiN film formed on a Si substrate (Φ300 mm) by PEALD using the PEALD apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1A (including a modification illustrated in FIG. 1B) with the sequence illustrated in FIG. 6 which corresponds generally to the sequence illustrated in FIG. 7. As illustrated in FIG. 6, by repeating m times a step of feeding an aminosilane precursor (bisdiethylaminosilane (BDEAS)) and a step of applying a N₂+Ar plasma alternately under the conditions shown in Table 5, a SiN film having a thickness of 1.5 to 6 nm was deposited. Thereafter, continuously, by repeating n times (30 times) a step of feeding the aminosilane material and a step of applying an Ar plasma alternately under the conditions shown in Table 6, an H-cap layer having a thickness of about 0.1 nm was deposited on the SiN film.

TABLE 5 (numbers are approximate) Conditions for SiN film Precursor pulse (sec): Supply time 3.0 Sec Substrate temperature (° C.) 250° C. Pressure (Torr) 1.9 Torr Carrier gas Ar Flow rate of carrier gas (sccm) 2000 Sccm Purge upon the precursor pulse (sec) 2.0 Sec Dilution gas Ar Flow rate of dilution gas (continuous) (sccm) 400 sccm Reactant gas N2 Flow rate of reactant gas (continuous) (sccm) 1000 sccm RF frequency (MHz) 13.56 MHz RF power (W) 300 W RF power pulse (sec) 3.0 sec Purge upon the RF power pulse (sec) 0.1 sec Duration of one cycle 8.1 sec Number of cycles repeated 66~264 times

TABLE 6 (numbers are approximate) Conditions for Hydrocarbon-based layer Precursor pulse (sec): Supply time 0.5 sec Substrate temperature (° C.) 250° C. Pressure (Torr) 1.9 Torr Carrier gas Ar Flow rate of carrier gas (sccm) 2000 sccm Purge upon the precursor pulse (sec) 0.8 sec Dilution gas Ar Flow rate of dilution gas (continuous) (sccm) 400 sccm RF frequency (MHz) 13.56 MHz RF power (W) 300 W RF power pulse (sec) 0.4 sec Purge upon the RF power pulse (sec) 0.1 sec Duration of one cycle 1.8 sec Number of cycles repeated 30 times

As comparative examples, a SiN film was deposited in the same manner as in Example 1 without forming an H-cap layer (Comparative Example 1), and a SiN film was deposited in the same manner as in Example 1, followed by applying thereon an Ar plasma without the aminosilane precursor (i.e., without forming an H-cap layer) (Comparative Example 2). The obtained substrates with the layer(s) were tested in terms of chemical resistance. The results are shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing wet etch rates of layers according to Example 1 (“With H-cap”) in relation to those of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 (“Without H-cap” and “Ar plasma only”, respectively). The “WER” (wet etch rate) refers to a wet etch rate (Å/min) using DHF (at 1:100). By forming the H-cap layer in Example 1 although the thickness of the H-cap layer was as small as about 0.1 nm, the wet etch rate of the film was reduced surprisingly to about ⅓ of that of the film without the H-cap layer (Comparative Example 1). When applying an Ar plasma without the aminosilane precursor on the SiN film (Comparative Example 2), the wet etch rate of the film was not improved but degraded.

The composition of the H-cap layer was analyzed by Rutherford backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Hydrogen Forward Scattering (HFS), using a silicon substrate on which solely an H-cap layer was deposited at a thickness of 45 nm for the analytical purposes. As shown in Table 7 below, it was confirmed that the H-cap layer was a hydrocarbon-based layer which was constituted by a hydrocarbon polymer containing silicon and nitrogen. The layer can include impurities, negligible elements, and undetectable elements without being expressly so indicated in the composition. The detectable amount varies depending on the composition analysis method.

TABLE 7 (numbers are approximate) RBS analysis Si Ar N C O H at % 11 2 7 47 2 30

Example 2

In this example, a SiO₂ film which had high moisture absorbency was deposited using TEOS on a substrate, and then annealed at a temperature of 400° C. to dehydrate the film. Thereafter, a SiN film having a thickness of 1.5 nm was deposited on the SiO₂ film, followed by deposition of an H-cap layer in a manner which was substantially the same as in Example 1. Changes in film stress of the resultant film with time were measured immediately after completion of the deposition processes. As comparative examples, no SiN film was deposited on the SiO₂ film (Comparative Example 3), a SiN film having a thickness of 1.5 nm was deposited in the same manner as in Example 2 without forming an H-cap layer (Comparative Example 4), and a SiN film having a thickness of 2.5 nm was deposited in the same manner as in Example 2 without forming an H-cap layer (Comparative Example 5). The results are shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a graph showing film stress of layers according to Example 2 (“⋄ SiN 1.5 nm+H-cap”) in relation to those of Comparative Example 3 (“● Without SiN deposition”), Comparative Example 4 (“▪ SiN 1.5 nm”), and Comparative Example 5 (“▴ SiN 2.5 nm”).

As shown in FIG. 10, when no SiN film was deposited (“● Without SiN deposition”), film stress changed with time to the compressive side as the SiO₂ film absorbed moisture. When a SiN film having a thickness of 1.5 nm was deposited without an H-cap layer (“▪ SiN 1.5 nm”), film stress changed with time to the compressive side as the SiO₂ film absorbed moisture through the 1.5-nm thick SiN film which did not sufficiently block moisture permeation. However, when a SiN film having a thickness of 2.5 nm was deposited without an H-cap layer (“▴ SiN 2.5 nm”), changes in film stress with time were suppressed, i.e., the 2.5-nm thick SiN film effectively blocked moisture permeation. When a SiN film having a thickness of 1.5 nm was deposited with an H-cap layer (“⋄ SiN 1.5 nm+H-cap”), despite the fact that the thickness of the H-cap layer was as thin as 0.1 nm and the thickness of the SiN film was as thin as 1.5 nm in Comparative Example 4 (“▪ SiN 1.5 nm”), changes in stress with time were suppressed, i.e., the 1.5-nm thick SiN film with the H-cap layer sufficiently blocked moisture permeation to the same extent as when the thickness of a SiN film was 2.5 nm (“▴ SiN 2.5 nm”). It was confirmed that an H-cap layer can impart sufficient blocking properties to a thin SiN film without increasing the thickness of the SiN film (the use of an H-cap layer can reduce the thickness of a SiN film by about 20% to 60%, e.g., 40%, without degrading its blocking properties). An H-cap layer can be applied not only to a SiN film but also to a SiO film or non-doped SG.

Examples 3 and 4

In this example, a hydrocarbon-based layer (H-cap layer) was deposited on a BSG or PSG film formed on a Si substrate (Φ300 mm) by PEALD using the PEALD apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1A (including a modification illustrated in FIG. 1B) with the sequence illustrated in FIG. 8 under conditions shown in Table 8 below. A SiO cap film was deposited in a manner substantially similar to that for depositing the H-cap film, except that a reactant gas (O₂) was fed to the reaction chamber.

TABLE 8 (numbers are approximate) B/PSG film AminoSi B/P SiO cap H-cap Feed Feed + RF film film Depo rate SiO [times] 1 0 NA NA B/P [times] 0 10 Bottle Temp [° C.] 35.0 35.0 50.0 35.0 BTL Ar [sccn] 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 O2/DCM [sccm] 1,000 1,000 1,000 0 Ar/DCM [sccm] 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Seal He/DCM [sccm] 200 200 200 200 RC Press [Pa] 400 400 400 400 HRF [W] NA 200 800 500 SUS Temp [° C.] 300 300 300 300 SHD Temp [° C.] 150 150 150 150 Wal Temp [° C.] 130 130 130 130 Gap [mm] 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 Shift time [sec] Source Feed 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 Source Purge 0.9 0.8 0.4 0.4 RF-ON 0 0.4 0.2 0.2 Post Purge 0 0.1 0.1 0.1 Cycle time 1.2 1.6 1.0 1.0 [sec]

In the table, “AminoSi Feed” denotes a step of forming a SiO sub-layer using a bisdiethylaminosilane (BDEAS) precursor; “B/P Feed+RF” denotes a step of forming a boron/phosphorus sub-layer using a boron-/phosphorus-triethoxide precursor in combination with application of RF power; “SiO [times]” denotes the number of cycles of forming the SiO sub-layer relative to the number of cycles of forming the B/P sub-layer; “B/P [times]” denotes the number of cycles of forming the B/P sub-layer relative to the number of cycles of forming the SiO sub-layer; “Bottle Temp” denotes a temperature of a bottle storing a liquid precursor; “BLT Ar” denotes an Ar flow rate flowing through the bottle, representing a flow of the precursor; “/DCM” denotes a flow rate per a dual-chamber module; “RC Press” denotes a pressure of a reaction chamber; “HRF” denotes a power of high-frequency RF; “SUS Temp” denotes a temperature of a susceptor; “SHD Temp” denotes a temperature of a showerhead; “Wall Temp” denotes a temperature of a wall of the reaction chamber; “Gap” denotes a distance between the showerhead and the susceptor.

Based on the processes described above, four layer structures shown in Table 9 were produced:

TABLE 9 (numbers are approximate) Com. Ex. 6 Ex. 3 Com. Ex. 7 Ex. 4 BSG film 2.0 nm 2.0 nm 0 0 (CK = 10/1) (CK = 10/1) PSG film 0 0 1.5 nm 1.5 nm (CK = 10/1) (CK = 10/1) SiO cap film 2.0 nm 0 0.5 nm 0 (28 cycles) (7 cycles) H-cap film 0 2.0 nm 0 0.5 nm (280 cycles) (70 cycles)

In the above, “CK” denotes a cycle ratio of the number of cycles of forming a B/P sub-layer to the number of cycles of forming a SiO sub-layer.

The resultant films were tested in terms of thickness uniformity. The results are shown in FIGS. 11-13B. FIG. 13 shows film uniformity when the capping structures were changed according to Examples 3 and 4 and (“H-Cap”) in relation to Comparative Examples 6 and 7 (“SiO Cap”). FIG. 13 also shows gray versions of images of thin-film thickness profile measurement by 2D color map analysis of films. As shown in FIG. 13, the total film thickness appeared to be thicker than was designed. This was because the silicon substrate had a natural oxide layer on its surface which was formed when being exposed to air while being stored in a clean room. The thickness of the natural oxide layer were determined to be about 1.3 nm, and thus, considering the thickness of the natural oxide layer and also considering a tolerance (e.g., a 2-nm film may have an actual thickness of 2.0 to 2.5 nm), the total thickness of the films matched with those designed. As shown in FIG. 13, when the H-cap film was thin (0.5 nm in Example 4), the thickness uniformity was significantly improved as compared with the SiO cap film used in Comparative Example 7. However, when H-cap film was relatively thick (2.0 nm in Example 3), the thickness uniformity was slightly degraded as compared with the SiO cap film used in Comparative Example 6.

After depositing the cap film, the substrate was subjected to annealing to diffuse B/P into the Si substrate under conditions shown in Table 10 below. The resultant films were tested in terms of concentration of B/P diffused into the silicon substrate using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), after removing the B/PSG film and the cap film by etching. The results are shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

TABLE 10 (numbers are approximate) Conditions for Annealing Substrate temperature 1000° C. Pressure 101325 Pa Atmosphere N2 Duration of annealing 1 sec

FIG. 11 is a graph showing Boron concentration (atom/cm³) in layers according to Example 3 (“H-cap”) in relation to that of Comparative Example 6 (“SiO cap”). As shown in FIG. 11, when the H-cap film was deposited on the BSG film, more boron elements were diffused into the silicon substrate than when the SiO cap film was deposited. Incidentally, the range in gray marked with “Artifact” in FIG. 11 represents a range where the results may not be reliable since the SIMS analysis could not measure the concentration accurately near the surface of the substrate due to unstable reading. FIG. 12 is a graph showing Phosphorus concentration (atom/cm³) in layers according to Example 4 (“H-cap”) in relation to that of Comparative Example 7 (“SiO cap”). As shown in FIG. 12, when the H-cap film was deposited on the PSG film, more phosphorus elements were diffused into the silicon substrate than when the SiO cap film was deposited.

Without intent to limit the present invention by the theory, one of the reasons that an H-cap film can increase the concentration of dopant elements into a silicon substrate is the hydrophobic nature of the H-cap film which blocks ambient moisture from reaching or permeating the dopant thin film. When moisture permeates the dopant thin film, dopant elements tend to disperse from the dopant thin film during storage and during an annealing process.

Example 5 Prophetic Example

In this example, a hydrocarbon-based layer (H-cap layer) is deposited on a Si substrate (Φ300 mm), followed by depositing a SiO layer, by PEALD using the PEALD apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1A (including a modification illustrated in FIG. 1B) with the sequence illustrated in FIG. 15. As illustrated in FIG. 15, by repeating j times (255 times) a step of feeding an aminosilane precursor (bisdiethylaminosilane (BDEAS)) and a step of applying a 13.56 MHz plasma alternately under the conditions shown in Table 11, an H-cap film having a thickness of 1.5 nm is deposited. Thereafter, continuously, by repeating k times (300 times) a step of feeding the aminosilane material and a step of applying a 13.56 MHz plasma alternately under the conditions shown in Table 11, a SiO layer having a thickness of about 30 nm is deposited on the C-cap layer.

TABLE 11 (numbers are approximate) Conditions Conditions for H-cap for SiO layer layer Precursor pulse (sec): Supply time 0.2 0.2 Substrate temperature (° C.) 100 100 Pressure (Torr) 3.0 3.0 Carrier gas Ar Ar Flow rate of carrier gas (sccm) 2000 2000 Purge upon the precursor pulse (sec) 0.3 0.3 Dilution gas Ar Ar Flow rate of dilution gas (continuous) (sccm) 1000 1000 Reactant gas NA Oxygen Flow rate of reactant gas (continuous) (sccm) NA 1000 RF frequency (MHz) 13.56 13.56 RF power (W) 50 50 RF power pulse (sec) 0.2 0.2 Purge upon the RF power pulse (sec) 0.1 0.1 Duration of one cycle (sec) 0.8 0.8 Number of cycles repeated (times) 255 300

The composition analysis by Rutherford backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) reveals that substantially the entire H-cap layer is oxidized when the deposition of the SiO layer is complete, forming one continuous combined oxide layer on the substrate. Further, the analysis reveals that the surface of the substrate initially in contact with the H-cap layer is substantially not oxidized.

It will be understood by those of skill in the art that numerous and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the forms of the present invention are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 

We claim:
 1. A method for protecting a layer, comprising: providing a substrate having a target layer; depositing a protective layer on the target layer, said protective layer contacting and covering the target layer and constituted by a hydrocarbon-based layer, said hydrocarbon-based layer being formed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using an alkylaminosilane precursor and a noble gas without a reactant; and depositing an oxide layer on the protective layer so that the protective layer in contact with the oxide layer is oxidized.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-based layer is constituted by a hydrocarbon polymer containing silicon and nitrogen.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target layer is a silicon substrate.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxide layer is constituted by silicon oxide.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxide layer is constituted by metal oxide.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alkylaminosilane is selected from the group consisting of bisdimethylaminosilane (BDMAS), hexylethylaminosilane (HEAD), tetraethylaminosilane (TEAS), tert-butylaminosilane (TBAS), bistert-butylaminosilane (BTBAS), bisdimethylaminodimethylaminosilane (BDMADMS), heptamethylsilazane (HMDS), trimethysilyldiethlamine (TMSDEA), trimethylsilyldimethlamine (TMSDMA), trimethyltrivinylcycletrisilazane (TMTVCTS), tristrimetylsilylhydroxyamine (TTMSHA), bisdimethylaminomethylsilane (BDMAMS), and dimethylsilyldimethlamine (DMSDMA).
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer consists of the hydrocarbon-based layer.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the protective layer which is oxidized when depositing the oxide layer on the protective layer becomes a part of the oxide layer.
 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of depositing the oxide layer continues until substantially the entire protective layer is oxidized.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a thickness of the protective layer deposited before depositing the oxide layer is more than zero but less than about 5 nm.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a thickness of the oxide layer including the oxidized protective layer is about 1 nm to about 100 nm.
 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxide layer is deposited by PEALD.
 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the substrate, the step of depositing the protective layer, and the step of depositing the oxide layer are conducted in the same reaction chamber. 